Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Review

When remembering the great games of the past, our thoughts tend to drift towards the revolutionary titles; the literal game-changers. And any gamer worth a darn knows that the indisputable king of these wonderful permutations is Shigeru Miyamoto. The man's M.O. is completely altering the landscape of gaming with every project he takes on. From Donkey Kong to Wii Fit, Miyamoto nearly always leaves the playing field altered forever with every vision he brings to fruition.

Yet there is something to be said for creating a masterpiece within the rules of an existing formula. Inventing something and perfecting it are often at different ends of the spectrum. Though the platformer had been around for over 1.5 decades, it took a long-tongued dinosaur to perfect it. In 1995, along with designer / director Takashi Tezuka, Miyamoto managed to create something that still felt as fresh and wonderful as when Pitfall Harry first leapt atop an alligator head.

Yoshi's Island (subtitled "Super Mario World 2" undoubtedly to attach itself to one of gaming's biggest franchises) is the epitome of what any smart retro enthusiast knows: the twilight of a console's life often contains its best releases. And for a system that hosted many of the greatest games of all time, that's quite an achievement.

Whereas any other Mario game has players controlling the titular plumber, Yoshi's Island has us playing as Yoshi and not just riding on him (speaking of which, does anyone else find it odd that all Yoshis are born with saddles attached to their backs?).

Though billed as the sequel to Super Mario World, the story takes place before the Mario Bros. are even delivered to their parents: young Mario and Luigi are en route to their parents via stork. The travelers are then attacked in mid-air by Kamek (baby Bowser's caretaker), who kidnaps Luigi and the stork but sends Mario plummeting to the ground below. He happens to land on Yoshi's Island, where the friendly dinosaurs decide to reunite the baby with his brother and send them back to their parents.

Really, though, this is a platformer; is the story that important? What is important is the world that Miyamoto has created: our favorite multi-colored species of dinosaur is given a beautiful, detailed land to traverse.

The gameplay is quite unique. Although it has scant traces of Mario's traditional platforming romps, Yoshi's Island is its own game. Instead of the traditional "one hit and you're dead, save for any active power-ups" formula, Yoshi's Island relies on a countdown instead of a life meter. In fact, Yoshi is virtually invincible (save for the instant-deaths of pits, spikes, and lava).

Instead, after being hit, Mario floats off of Yoshi's back and must be retrieved. At that moment, a countdown timer begins. If it reaches zero, then Kamek's toadies steal baby Mario and the player loses a life. Once Mario is retrieved, the countdown stops. Players begin a level with 10 seconds on the timer (similarly, if the time goes below 10 seconds after a hit, it will slowly regenerate back to 10) and power-ups found throughout levels can add up to 30 seconds.

This seemingly simple setup was quite revolutionary for its time. Time-based life was practically unheard of when Yoshi's Island was released, yet it's the fundamental rule for more recent games such as Halo.

Each level has Yoshi jumping, running, and climbing through large areas. Again, this isn't quite the Mario adventure that most of us are used to: instead of hopping and bopping and jumping platforms, Yoshi's Island focuses more on puzzle-solving and item-collecting. Every four stages presents the player with a boss battle (usually a super-sized version of a standard enemy). Along the way, Yoshi also comes into contact with giant Super FX 2 chip-powered obstacles, accesses hidden bonus levels, rides on an indestructible canine friend named Poochie, and finds "transformations" that turn him into various vehicles such as a helicopter and a race-car.

Though all of this is splendid fun, the gameplay isn't quite revolutionary. Yet it's the world that the developers draw us into that represents a smorgasbord of beauty, creativity, and whimsy.

Yoshi's Island is a wonderful vision of pastel colors, majestic backdrops, and character-oozing sprites. Honestly, it's difficult to remember any other game that matches or even comes close to the amount of detail that Yoshi's Island did, past or present. The level of charm is astronomical. Every enemy seems quite intentional. There will be moments when you refrain from killing an enemy just to watch it in action.

Previous games up to this point often gave the impression that it was a struggle to appear the way it did. Something like Battletoads for the NES has amazing graphics, but one can almost feel the blood, sweat, and tears of the game's developers in every layer of parallax scrolling. Yoshi's Island took a different approach: having the graphics dictate the technology and not the other way around. The game could have replicated the pre-rendered 3D graphics of Donkey Kong Country, but chose style over the latest and greatest. (Apparently, this was not what Nintendo requested the game to look like, earning DKC an infamous diss from the Miyamoto.)

This was the beginning of a different philosophy in artistic presentation: instead of wrestling with technology, let creativity revel in it. This is perhaps the first game that seemed to genuinely "play" with its foundation. Giant polygonal doors that fall down onto Yoshi as he walks by… necessary? No. Appreciated? Much.

Less obvious but equally as beautiful as the visuals are the sounds: Kōji Kondō, the greatest video game composer of all time, strikes gold once again. From the bright, anxious flutter of the intro stage to the epic grandeur of the final boss battle, the music is simply amazing. And if the ending theme doesn't give you goosebumps and tingles, then I'm sorry to be the one to inform you that you have no soul. Seriously, go YouTube that tune right now.

The downsides of this game are practically moot, but here goes anyway: baby Mario's crying is annoying and some of the bosses are too easy. And that's it. The rest is perfection.

Conclusion

Yoshi's Island isn't just a great platformer: it's a reminder of why this silly little hobby of ours is so wonderful. Sure, the game contains no political satire, no poetic justice, no character development. But if what Miyamoto and Tezuka crafted isn't a work of art, then the definition of "art" needs to be amended.

@Corbs - I agree that Yoshi's Island is not quite as good as Super Mario World, but that's just splitting hairs when both games are so fantastic. There are lots of original touches and innovation in this game, I'm glad that Nintendo didn't just do a lazy sequel and reuse sprites, etc.

I wasn't disagreeing with the review score. Just chiming in about it not being as good as Super Mario World and All-Stars. My only real complaint with Yoshi's Island was the super easy difficulty. Other than that, it's phenomenal.

If the game had given me just a little more reward for completing it 100%, like an extended ending or a few changes to the characters or levels or just something more than 6 stars on the title screen, it would have been pretty much perfect imo.

Still, it's one of the greatest platformers of all time without a doubt and no 3D platformer has ever come close to the level of polish and quality in every single moment of this game.

Looks exactly like the DS version to me though; which is also just as great! I still don't know what makes Yoshi's Island DS seem not so great to other people; it's a fantastic game! Yes I'm talking about the DS version people; you got a problem with that?!

BTW; I've been replaying Yoshi's Island DS again for old time sake... being my 2nd time in a huge long time; (since I got the DS game way back in January 2008)! It sure it still fun! What I love about Yoshi's Island DS is that you got more babies to play with; & Baby Peach, DK, & Wario are way more fun than using Baby Mario in my eyes! And I actually like the adorable scenes where Yoshi's trying to travel with the babies & carry them all; or when he meets Baby DK & Wario! I think Baby Wario is OMG LOL funnie; shows he always was a greedy anti-hero to begin with before he grew up to the Wario we all know today! Also I love the final boss battle with Baby Bowser, & grown up Bowser! The game even reminds me much like my other favorite DS game; Super Princess Peach... for both are amzingly pretty in 2D graphics & fun platform/adventure games!

I would also still love the first classic that started it all; for I never played the SNES version of Yoshi's Island... yes I mean Super Mario World 2! I still don't even know what that story is about... maybe the stinking review above shoud've mentioned a bit more! Then just maybe I would have loved to read it throughly in more detail! But yes; a gem such as it does deserve a 10/10! There are few rare games that can only deserve scores like that! I mean look at the majority of all first party games that got reviews 10/10... most of them are viewed in the SNES & N64 database's library of NintendoLife!

And well duh I think it still will take a serious amount of time for Nintendo or NOA to release this Yoshi's Island game on the VC! That's because we still don't even have Super Mario Kart; which uses the whatever so called ship used to emulate these kind of SNES games! So whenever NOA releases Super Mario Kart on the VC; I bet months and months afterward they'll find the time to release this Yoshi's Island game on the VC! We just have to have extreme amounts of patience with Nintendo; that's all! I know most of you can handle that! I mean I can, wink wink!

Also don't get me started on waiting for SSB64; I'm sure we'll get that eventually... even if the long 2 months after May 18's #300 game have been aggonizing stressful! Also don't get me started on this past VC Monday, when there was NO VC game at all; for I know we all were majorly dissapointed with that to no freaking end! Hopefully we'll get something awesome next week; if Nintendo doesn't screw us again that is! I bet they were just taking a breather; to hype us up for something we all know is comming! Come on SSB64; I mean I can pray can't I?!

This was one of the first games I ever played when I was little. Although I didn't get very far in it, I absolutely love the game. I gotta play more of the DS game, I played like 3 levels and then I stopped.

However, I disagree with this review. This is one of the best platformers, but not the best. That award should go to SMB1. Being so simple gives it it's charm. All gamers can pick up and play it, and that's a really great thing.

Nice review! I especially agree with what you said about the graphics: it's even true today. Since the Wii doesn't have the same horsepower that its competition does, graphical designers have to make their games stand out by taking them in new artistic directions, as seen in games like Madworld and Muramasa: The Demon Blade, resulting in games that (to me, at least) are decidedly more eye-catching than any PS3 or Xbox 360 game I've seen.

Super easy?! I grant you it's not Mega Man, but it's far more difficult to finish than Super Mario World and it's more difficult to get 100% in Yoshi's Island than it is to finish Super Mario Bros. 3. Just because it has cute bosses and colourful graphics doesn't mean its easy. Anyone who thinks that should try to get 100% on all the secret levels and then compare it to other Mario platformers. Super easy indeed...

.......This is a joke, right? 10/10? This does not deserve a 10. Few games do. Only true blinding masterpieces. This is great, but it is certainty no masterpiece. I love this game too, but not deserving a 10. More 9 material. That's just tone super-adorable-Japanese deity's opinion for ya

Also, I found this game hard. Some levels were maddening, especially the auto scrolling ones. I find this harder than Mega Man 9 and Mega Man. The last time I played it was when I was 6 though.......

I'm with Corbie, the game was a bit to easy for my tastes, and that kind of turned me off to it. For whatever reason, i never really liked the game originally, even if i did appreciate its oodles of style.

I haven't played it since not long after it originally came out though, and with the constant discussions of "greatest platformer ever?" over the years, i really should give it a whirl again (especially as Mario-style platformers are towards the top of my fave genre).

This perfect game trumps Super Mario World. Even Miyamoto has voiced his unsatisfaction with SMW1. SMW2 is a 12/10. I played this for the 1st time in 2006 on GBA. It's awesome and only Super Mario Bros. 3 can best it for 2D Mario's!

I feel sorry for people who only experienced this masterpiece on the GBA. The sound quality was poor and one third of the visible playing area had to get chopped off due to the GBA's lower screen resolution.

Agree with the review by this site's scoring policy. Its near perfect platforming and it is virtually flawless in design and mechanics. I own the DS version only nowadays and we just love the little fracker of a game. Its also got decent replay value.

Its not better than Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario World, but it is very much so in their league

Nintendo, I will never EVER complain about VC again if you release this! (With SMK and EarthBound, but if only it were possible...)

Played it on the GBA, it is a masterpiece.

@Digiki: You'd cut four points off the score?! YOU sir must have VERY high standards for games. Either that, or low standards. Yoshi's Story is a very fun little gem, but you'd rather play it over this? You're not making any sense.

I still have the original cart and the GBA version, so I won't be buying the VC version when it comes around, but it'd be great for those who haven't experienced it. Defenitely one of my top 3 favorite games.

Comparing Super Mario World 1 with Super Mario World 2 is like comparing apples to oranges? I didn't compare it to Super Metroid. And I just meant it wasn't quite as good as its predecessor Super Mario World, but still a fantastic game.

I love this one, have both SNES and GBA versions too. Absolutely one of Nintendo's platforming master pieces, beautiful visuals, lovely music, a great ending, very well balanced dificulty imo (didn't find it easy nor hard), it's just perfect.Personally, I like it more than SMW.

I never could get into this game. I dunno why, it just wasn't fun. Then again, I've said the same about Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3 as well. Heck, even Super Mario 64 and SM Galaxy failed to hold my interest for very long. I guess I'm just not into Mario games, save for the first Super Mario Bros, New Super Mario Bros, Super Mario World, and Super Mario Sunshine.

I seriously don't understand why this game is praised as much as it was, and still is....

The music may is fantastic, the art style perfect, but what about the gameplay? The very first time I played this game I only died 1 time, and when I finally beat it I had 48 lives.....It is WAY too easy!! The game is much too lenient, allowing multiple ways to recover from mistakes that would spell certain (deserved) doom in any other REAL mario game. And the bosses are almost laughablesince there really isn't much brainpower necessary to figure out how to beat them. I don't want Nintendo to hold my hand, I want them to challenge my plat-forming skills.

It may be too easy, but I can't see how anyone could view it as easier than Super Mario World. SMW is pathetically easy, to complete the game 100% is easy, and to just beat Bowser is peversely easy to accomplish. To judge a Mario game (against others in the series) on how difficult it is seems a little odd to me in the first place. The series hasn't been difficult since the NES (save SML). Super Mario 64 anyone? Easy but still a masterpiece.

Yoshi's Island isn't up there with the likes of Ocarina though, 9/10 is fair.

How can I not judge a Mario game on how difficult it is? That's what first attracted me to great plat-formers like the first Mario bros. and Bionic Commando. How can you go through an entire game never dying, and actually try and convince yourself that the game was satisfying? A great plat-former will telegraph where you are supposed to go, and punish you accordingly for not thinking ahead. It's a delicate balance that for me was almost perfect in games like Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night, and more recently Super Mario Galaxy.

I'm not saying you can't judge a Mario game according to it's difficulty, but I just think it's silly to do so, or at least on this alone, for if you say Yoshi's Island isn't a very good game because it's too easy & yet adequate in other respects, it's my opinion that you must also discount SMW & SM64 for the same reason. Again, this seems to me absurd as the above mentioned are 2 of the best games ever made in my opinion. If your not an avid Mario fan, you could argue that Yoshi's Island doesn't offer enough challenge compared to Super Metroid or Mega Man, but if you're a fan of the Mario series to discount Yoshi's Island on this basis seems bizarre to me.

@E-160 FeraligatrNope I just expect my games to be fun, this wasn't much fun. Looked nice, sounded nice enough, but the gameplay was unentertaining. But hey is you add my score for this, and my score for that horrid SMRPG game, it makes 10

If you asked me, Yoshi's Island is one of the best Mario games, with great level design, creative bosses, and an irresistably charming art style. Even with Baby Mario's obnoxious crying and the easy difficulty, it still deserves that 10.

WTF?! Are you one of those people that has never played a game but gives it a review score? How can you know unless you've played it?

Aside from the fact that SMG tried at a story, Super Mario Galaxy is a masterpiece. I'll tell you what go back and actually play this game, I think everyone is letting nostalgia get to them. Super Mario Galaxy offers a much more gratifying experience, because it's actually a challenging plat-former unlike this game.

@Missingno. Well duh, of course Super Mario Galaxy is better. It's on far better technology, so the developers were able to tweak the level design and soundtrack much further than anything on a SNES. And besides a few levels (Luigi purple coin challenge comes to mind), Galaxy is just about as easy as YI was.

Your argument about how a game sucks because it's too easy is ridiculous. You're telling me that you can't appreciate a well-designed, creative game just because it's low in difficulty?

Everyone's entitled to their opinions, being a free world and whatnot. One thing to keep in mind is NL's review policy, and the general idea of a review for that matter: we're not ranking games against other games, but ranking a game for what it is. It's perfectly reasonable to say that World or Galaxy are much better than this game, but for what Yoshi's Island is, it's virtually perfect.

But that's just my two bits. Thanks to everyone for reading.

@Corbie: Touché! You do have to admit that Yoshi's Island is very un-Mario like, but yeah, you're right; it's a bit closer than Super Metroid.

I think a lot of people are forgetting how to read. I already clearly stated that the music and art design in this game is near flawless in my mind for what it's trying to be. I did complete the game (when I was 12 on the SNES, and again when I was 18 and it was on the GBA) I had nowhere near as much fun as I did completing SMG.

And, I do not only like hard games, just games that actually challenge me and force me to think creatively e.g. World of Goo and Bionic Commando.

Again I can't stress how much in love with the art style and music of Yoshi's Island, but that's the only thing that got me through the entire game.

Digiki You obviously haven't gotten all 120 stars, I have never died so much on any level than I did on Luigis purple coin challenge.

Also, I suggest you look up the definition of linear. There are some galaxy you don't even have to play to beat the game...how is that linear? And the Hungry Lumas you can avoid all together if you want.

As I already said I only died one time in Yoshi's Island the entire game and ended the game with 48 lives, there is no way you could think this game challenging and SMG not! I'm shocked!

Digiki, from your comment it sounds like you only got 20 stars. You wouldn't think Galaxy was so easy if you tried any of the prankster comets! >=)

And Missingno, I've beaten the game with 150 lives (GBA version lol), and I still felt satisfied cuz I played a well-designed, creative game. Plus, I'm the kind of guy that prefers not to have excessive challenge in his games. And if you're looking for a challenge, try the secret/extra levels. They offer plenty of challenge.

I thought Super Mario Galaxy was a unique and enjoyable experience in and of itself. I'm going for all 242 stars in it (the game's HUUUUGE!), and the Prankster Comets are killing me. Oh, and when we're talking about style, SMG is full of it, especially in its majestic orchestrated soundtrack and some of the more whimsical galaxies.

To be perfectly honest, I've still yet to play Yoshi's Island (no need to flame me for that, thank you!), so I'm not gonna judge it just yet, but I do dig the art style!

Now, if it doesn't come to VC soon, I'll have no choice but to emulate it! We're probably gonna get it as the 400th or 500th game, like they gave us Super Mario RPG as the 250th, and Majora's Mask as the 300th.

There's no word on a VC release from Nintendo, but if you consider my theory that we've got a sequel to the Yoshi's Island series on its way (they talked about it in the last podcast), it would make a lot of sense for them to release the VC version of this game together with its next installment.

@Hyper Knuckles: Give me five good reasons for that, or I won't believe you.

My little sister really wants this game. I hope it gets released but I bet it is pretty low on Nintendo's priority list with Yoshi's Island already having one or two remakes for handhelds. Still, if they released Kirby Super Star, they probably will get around to this.

I absolutly loved this game! (or well, the GBA version of it) I played this until I had 100 points on all 60 levels (54 + bonus 6 in GBA) I was very disappointed with the DS version, but I beat it anyway (not 100%-ing that game though)

I'm forced to use an emulator because it's not on Wii Virtual Console, i'm not a 3DS Ambassador, and Yoshi's Island DS is ultimately a different game with mostly not as good music, except for maybe that Mountain Athletic Theme.

My first video game, back when i was a kid, and couldnt stop fantasizing about controlling an inanimated object with a controller, this game was the first reason i ever holded a controller for, and be sure i wouldnt have wanted it to be any other way, internet is wonderful it will let me experience this again, a way or another.